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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. season — of the year
  7. degree — an amount
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bat — the animal
  21. season — in sport
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — temperature
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com